Sue Silverstein, the Bishop Maginn High School Art Teacher, started painting again after a lapse of 20 years. She wanted to support the resurrection of the school’s art program by the Army Of Good and to encourage the beautiful work of some of her gifted refugee students.

I put out a call for help in getting some good art on the walls of the center (the AOG has already donated three landscapes by local artist Marilyn Brooks), and Sue responded.

Sue donated eight of her quite beautiful watercolors to hang in its new Memory Care Center, scheduled to open soon. Maria, who worked in a framing shop for seven years in addition to her many other skills, framed them all this afternoon. She didn’t need any help, but I kept her company.

We have been raising money to buy frames and boards and glass, and we had enough to frame eight of her paintings. Her class has volunteered to paint more for the remaining bare walls in some of the rooms.

Tomorrow, Maria and I will go to the Mansion to meet with Mansion Director Kassi Garmley and decide where the paintings should go, and how many more might be needed.

The Activity Room of the new center, which is attached to the Mansion building, has been dedicated to the Army Of Good to give thanks to the work you have all done for the Mansion and its residents since 2016..

It is wonderful to bring these two places – the Mansion and the Bishop Maginn High School – together. The refugee students are planning a visit, as is Sue Silverstein, and one of her class projects will be to work on some paintings for the regular Mansion residents.

It was something to see how quickly and skillfully Maria put these frames together and framed these paintings. Lots of different dimensions to that women, we now add Framing Maria to the other Marias.

Thanks to Sue Silverstein for donating these beautiful paintings to the Memory Care Center.

P.S. The Bishop Maginn High School Wish List has only three items left,  jumbo wall calenders to hang in the classrooms so the students can look up and see their projects and assignments a month ahead. Students with cell phones take photos of the calendars and use them to check their assignments every day.

The teachers are getting excited at all of the new things that will be on display in August at the school’s Open House and in September when classes begin. The wall calendars are $21.99 each.

The school has the microscopes they asked for and the laptop computers. Teachers will begin assembling a computer room, and the new choir director will soon begin rehearsals for the new choir.

There are enough school supplies so that every student will have a backpack and notebooks and pens and pencils. I’m gathering funds to make sure they all have proper clothes and shoes for the cold weather. We are in talks about how to help some of the poorest and most gifted students get enough tuition money to be accepted.

I’m meeting one of those students Wednesday, she needs $3,000 for tuition this year, I’ve already received a $1,000 from a retired school teacher for tuition. I will need to raise $2,000 more and am confident we will. This will be the sixth student the Army Of Good has helped get into a private school that will give them the attention and support they need.

Thank you, this is great.